There are two main things you will want to prevent from having access to your crawl space — moisture and pests. Those in the Triad likely have the traditional wall-vented crawl space, unless they have a very new home, and these old-style crawl spaces are not efficient at preventing either moisture or pests from entering. 

To make matters worse, these two issues generally arrive together. If there is a moisture problem in your crawl space, it will attract animals. Or, if animals are living under your home, they are likely to create moisture problems with their waste. 

How to spot crawl space issues in progress

1. Noises — Do you hear scratching, squeaking, scurrying or other suspicious noises coming from under your ground floor? Trust your instincts; pests have likely made a home under your home. 
2. Odors — A strong smell of mold or mildew is a sign of moisture in the crawl space. Pests often come with odors as well, especially when one of their troop has died in the space and begins to rot. 
3. Sightings — When you look out the window or when you’re sitting on the porch, do you ever see small mammals (like rodents, raccoons or opossums) traveling to or from your house? They may just be passing by, but they also may be coming from or going to your crawl space. Also, do you ever see insects in large numbers or that keep popping up no matter how many you remove? They may be based under your feet.
4. Poor drainage — After a rainstorm, do you see water collecting along the edge of your foundation? Moisture problems in a crawl space can begin with a gutter malfunction or water that doesn’t properly drain away from the house. 
5. Access — Another sign that you either have problems, or are at risk of developing them, is if there is easy access to the crawl space. The wall vents themselves can be an entrance for pests, but you may also just have open spots in the foundation that are inviting critters in for a warm, safe place to set up. 

Solving your crawl space problems

For those who have identified these signs, you will want to act quickly in order to prevent further damage. Moisture can cause mold, mildew and rot, and these can require extensive repair jobs which only get more extensive, and expensive, the longer you let them wait. 

The same goes for the pests. You may think having a raccoon under the home is no big deal, or is even kind of fun, but this is also inviting problems. Many of these pests carry diseases and can be aggressive around “their home,” which happens to be under your home. Pets and children would therefore not be safe playing in the yard. Rats and mice especially are known for chewing through electrical wires and destroying insulation, and insects can be even more costly. 

Critter Control of the Triad deals with both moisture and pest problems in crawl spaces. We also prevent these problems from reemerging by “encapsulating” your crawl space. This process gets rid of the outdated wall-vent crawl space model and instead transitions to a completely sealed design. Moisture cannot enter from outside and is also blocked from rising from the ground. If you live in Forsyth, Guilford or Alamance counties, please call (336) 370-0445 to learn more.